Ship decks in the past have typically been made up of either metal or wood. Metal decking requires lower maintenance than wood decking and is typically utilized in areas which do not have a great deal of industrial type traffic involving moving of heavy machinery and the like. Wood decking on the other hand, is higher maintenance than metal decking but provides a certain amount of elasticity in the event of heavy machinery being dropped on the decking or collisions with industrial type products. Typically though, upon the impact of heavy equipment, wood splinters or cracks thereby requiring replacement. Both wood and metal decking material are susceptible to a large amount of decay due to the ocean environment, and therefore require constant upkeep with regard to painting and other maintenance activities. Another drawback to both wood and metal decking material is the fact that both become extremely slippery when they get wet. Since this condition is unavoidable on ships, measures must be taken to condition the decking material in order to provide a non-slip type surface. Prior treatment techniques have been marginally effective however, because metal and wood are relatively impermeable to any treatment which requires absorption into the material for effectiveness. Treatments used in the past on wood or metal decks therefore wear off very quickly.
A decking material which overcomes the above-identified deficiencies of metal and wood decking is therefore highly desirable.